LESSON PLAN

Class Profile: It is a Pre-Intermediate class of mixed nationalities and ethnic backgrounds bringing diversity and variation in class. The relevant class meets twice per week for a two-hour session and it comprises five students coming from different countries around the world, such as Central Asia (Afghanistan and Iran) and Greece. They have had classes for almost a couple of years now and they are currently doing Language-To-Go Intermediate coursebook. In reality, they seem to meet the linguistic needs of the course, respond positively in the learning procedure with well-structured activities, proper T guidance and prompting and well sequenced input, which does not overload them. I have observed them three times so far and I have spotted a few points to consider for that particular class. As a matter of fact, Sam, a computer engineer from Iran, seems to be the leading figure in class, being ahead of the others in terms of linguistic and lexical means, attempts to use complex language, does not fear taking risks with language, volunteers to voice his opinion, but, I noticed a few irregularities with his using tenses, when I asked him if they had covered a language point in the past, i.e. This is something I didnt saw before, which made me suspicious of his being in need for more practice with morphological aspects of tenses. Besides, another student in the same group, Michael, a musician from Greece, struggles to convey his messages in the TL, but, from my point of view, he has been positively influenced and incited indirectly by Sam to participate actively in the teaching procedure, something that I had noticed in the previous lessons, when I observed them. By the way, he manages to use basic linguistic features in order to get across his messages, to communicate his ideas and to interact with classmates. He also does not fear to paraphrase, i.e. What we call the place we put in the lions in the zoo? asking for the word cages not grammatically correct, but, he manages to get his message across in class. In addition, Hafiz is another student of the same linguistic ability to perform as well as the others do in class, since he tries to get across his messages successfully in situations he wishes to communicate, but, there is a cultural barrier (he wont participate voluntarily, unless his being asked to do so) being used to taught traditionally in his country of origin. Joey passively processes language chunks and is accustomed to taking notes of every activity in class taking place, a strong visual and analytical learner. I assume that he might be used to being taught traditionally, a cultural barrier that impedes his communicative language learning. I presume that he must keep notes so as to study them [Type text] Page 1

in his own time, at home and this is obvious from his receptive work with reading and listening tasks, since he is the only one in class to respond promptly and accurately. Liakat seems to be not so eager to volunteer in the teaching procedure, understands slowly with instructions and careful guidance and needs time to perform the tasks. Isla, a new student appeared in class for the first time and seemed to be able to use the TL with confidence, a leader in group work, voiced her opinions freely, sustained her speech , but, she needs work on pronunciation, tense formation and vocabulary expansion.
Lesson Aims/ Objectives for students Evidence

Primary Aim(s) 1.T will point out the time difference, 1. To point out the main difference between first, by using a song to introduce them to the Present Perfect Simple and the Simple The conceptual difficulty. Ss will highlight Past. relevant paradigms in the verses of the song To experiment with concepts of time for the tw tenses. 2. To identify the correct formation of Present Perfect and Past Simple regarding respective time expressions. 2.Ss will be exposed to two coloured Columns depicting difference in tenses , with a question on top of them, which Defines the difference of formation Between the tenses, Ss will place the relevant lyrics in them, something which w make them work out the rules of Formation by themselves. 3. By using a timeline with the highlighted lyrics from the song, and pointing out the time differences in context, Ss will, hopefully be able to comprehend the time difference and later on to put it in practice for the tasks to follow. 4.By making them play a game called Get it right! in groups; individually, they write three things theyve done in their life so far (using Present Perfect); then, they put them in a purse , they pick out at random, they try to find the person the activity belongs to and they ask more about their life , using Past Simple. Page 2

3. To enable Ss to use a definite action in the past as opposed to indefinite experience leading up to present time with no reference to time.

4. To provide Ss with the chance of discovering and comprehending the time difference on their own, in a communicative way.

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Secondary Aim(s) 1. To be able to see how each language piece works in discourse in the form of a song; 2. To train Ss to use the two tenses in authentic devised tasks according to their time expressions and the nature of the tasks in which they take place. Listening: y For gist and specific information (comprehension questions) in the listening transcript of the hypothesis stage of the lesson; moreover, to recognize the particular grammar points. To activate top-down and bottom-up processing skills respectively. Speaking: y It focuses on fluency at the beginning of the lesson to activate students` schematic knowledge, later on; it focuses on the accurate reproduction of one game Get it Right a tightly - controlled dialogue and a freer role-play activity, in which students accurately reproduce the target language in an enjoyable manner with a game-like atmosphere. Reading: y It focuses on the recognition of the target grammatical items.

1. By exposing Ss to the first verse of the song with the highlighted, coloured column of the tenses, i.e. (green-Present Perfect, redSimple Past). 2. By using a role play in which one of the Ss plays the part of a reporter interviewing their classmate, a rock singer coming to their town, whos invited to talk about their career and life experiences. Listening: y By listening to the song and being Asked to correspond the lyrics (Present Perfect) and (Past Simple) in strips of paper and categorize them accordingly in their respective columns; a guided way of experimentation with the language.

Speaking: Ss use their active thinking to voice their opinions regarding love disappointment at the warm-up stage in groups with the aid of visual prompts and relate it to their own personal lives. As for the tightly controlled dialogue, the freer role play and the Get it right game, Ss will have the opportunity to experiment and practice with the linguistic means already acquired at that stage. Reading: y By reading between the lines of the Lyrics of the song to highlight the time differences in the two contradictory tenses and sticking their time differences high up on the w/b using strips of paper according to time reference. y

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Source Aids/Handouts 1. Visual of a love struck face for the lead-in stage (see Appendix A), the CD for the listening transcript of the song and the radio are essential for the presentation stage of the lesson. 2. Also handouts of the song with the lyrics of the song Nothing Compares to you for Ss to follow, while their listening to it for pleasure and the radio for reproducing the song (see Appendix B).

3. In addition, strips of paper for Ss to place the respective paradigms of the lyrics to stick them up on the w/b, under their respective category and some blue tack (see Appendices 2.) 4. Five slips of paper for Ss to write six things theyve done in their life so far , an empty purse to play the game (see Appendix D) and the handouts with the dialogue and the role play (see Appendices E+ F).

Linguistic assumptions Up to now, the particular class has had a first contact with Present Perfect in the past, but, I dont think they have consolidated it to the fullest regarding morphology and time conception, since I noticed Ss overgeneralise the negative form of the Simple Past with time reference to present, instead of Past Simple orally, i.e. This chapter is something I didnt saw before. The class are doing the Language-To-Go Intermediate Course book and they have got up to Unit 13 and they have dealt with phrasal verbs, Present Simple vs. Present Continuous, the First and Second type of Conditional which makes me suspect that if they mastered the 2nd conditional (unreal past), then, they might be able to use the Simple Past vs. Present Perfect in a series of tasks to talk about life experiences.

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Anticipated Language Difficulties Attitudinal: 1.Some students might feel uncomfortable opening up themselves and talking freely about their relationships or expressing their feelings / emotions about their pastimes or personal experiences

Solutions/Remedies Attitudinal: 1.The visual prompt of the magazine stuck up in the whiteboard of the classroom and an open class, friendly conversation with the class instructor included talking about self experiences respective real life issues reassures the students sentimentally an ice-breaker for adult learners of English. Morphological: 2. The categories of the tenses (Simple Past) and (Present Perfect) on the timeline will guide Ss as to what tense they need to use for each category and how it is formed.

Morphological: 2. Ss might have a difficulty in distinguishing the tense formations between the Past Simple vs. Present Perfect.

Conceptual: 3. Ss will present problems understanding tense usage, i.e. I was in the U.K. three years ago vs. I have been to the U.K. twice so far to talk about definite actions in the past as opposed to indefinite ones and life experiences.

Conceptual: 3.They will be presented first with a timeline and strips of paper (-Simple Past, Present Perfect) for Ss to stick up on the w/b, so that they will, hopefully, understand the time difference and then they are asked to say orally to their friends things theyve done these days and what they did in the past. Conceptual: 4. They brainstorm on the w/b life problems with solutions and next, with clear instructions, they perform the role play.

Conceptual: 4. They might be presented with the obstacle of recalling life problems and offering solutions to practice saying the role play

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Board Plan(s) Unknown Vocabulary & Pronunciation miserable

Grammar Time line

Unknown Words: Whomever Fancy Compares backyard these blues reminds Past the flowers you planted mother in the backyard (finished, we know when it started, action complete) 1.Since you took your love away 2.I said nothing 3. Where did I go wrong? 4.I went to the doctor 5. Guess what he told me 6.He said girl youd better try 7.All died when you went away 8.Living with you baby was sometimes hard Present Future

Its been so alone without you here (not finished, we dont know when it started, experience) 1.its been seven hours and fifty days 2.Since youve been gone I can do whatever I want

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Commentary Students are not expected to have consolidated the basic uses of the two tenses, i.e. Present Perfect Simple = an action started in the Past and continues up to the present in indefinite time/ experience & Simple Past= an action started and completed in the past in definite time. The lesson will attempt to present a variety of pair/ group/ individual activities to a pre-intermediate class of adults; they are going to get involved in speaking and writing authentic messages to consolidate the basic conceptual use between the two contradictory tenses. At such lessons, students are traditionally not challenged to participate in real life, motivating and intriguing activities so as to improve their speaking and writing skills through the medium of a song practicing grammar in listening, doing questionnaires, and writing informal letters. In this way, a song by Sinnaed O Connor Nothing Compare to You with highlighted parts will be implemented to introduce learners to the particular time difference, using a situation-co-text approach, which masters vocabulary as well as grammar items on a similar level, i.e. the Lexical Approach. More specifically, strips of paper with tense examples from the song will, hopefully, guide students to discover/ deduce the rules and their meanings on their own. A variety of activities such as the Get it right! game, (a game with crunched papers recounting life experiences in a purse!) will, hopefully, enable learners to create a context with language from authentic sources and describe what they see, write their own grammar rules (Lewis 1993). The simulated dialogue and the role play between two friends recounting life experiences put into practice the language points and in free production of desired language points through an activity calling for a high frequency of use for these points in groups (Constantinides 2003).

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DELTA Lesson Plan

Name: Paraskevi Andreopoulou

PROCEDURE
Learner Activity Aims

Date:10/09/08

Stage

Teacher Activity

Materials

Interaction

Time

Lead- In:

T presents a photo of a miserably in love woman and asks Ss to voice their opinion on the matter and to elicit vocabulary: 1. Why is the woman crying? Do you have any ideas? She looks unhappy or miser(able)..why? Please repeat!!(miserable) Next, she says: Now, you talk to your friend about it.

Ss look at the photo of the woman, repeat the word, reflect on the issue and talk to their partner about the topic of the song

To activate their schematic knowledge, to introduce them to the topic of the lesson gradually, to promote peer interaction and to predict content

The photo downloaded from the website, the w/b and some blue tack

T-Ss

3-4

Ss - Ss

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PreListening:

WhileListening (a):

She went to a f(ancy)restaurant with whom(ever) she wants to take away these blues, but, everything reminds her of her past life and nothing compares to it; but, she is willing to give it another try in her backyard. T asks from Ss to repeat the words chorally and individually. Next, T says:Now, you`re going to listen to the song with these words and after that, I want you to find out what happened to her and why she feels that way.

Ss observe the words to be pretaught and repeat them chorally and individually

To pre-teach vocabulary And to teach pronunciation

The w/b and w/b markers

T-Ss

2-3

Ss are going to listen to the song and find out what happened to the woman and why she feels that way

To assign a reason for first listening, to listen for gist , for the main idea , to confirm predictions and content

The radio and the CD

Plenary Mode

5`

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After 1st Listening (a) :

After feedback, T proceeds to hand out the song sheets to all Ss and advises them to pay attention to the underlined parts- lyrics of the song she says: Now, I want you to find out which of these lyrics are for the Past and which ones for the Present, in pairs. During the activity, T goes around, monitors and provides help.

Ss get the song sheets, look at the underlined lyrics of the song, and, in pairs, try to find out which lyrics correspond to the Past and which ones to the Present

To introduce in context the morphological and conceptual aspect of the tenses, in pairs, and to describe what they see (Lewis, 1993)

The song sheets

Pair Work

2-3`

After 1st Listening (b):

T draws a timeline on the w/b with time references to the Past (red marker),Present (green marker) and the Future; she says I want you to see which of these lyrics should go for Past Simple and which ones for Present Perfect- do it in pairs. During the activity, T goes around, monitors and provides assistance.

Ss look at the song sheet and try to identify the morphological difference between the two tenses

To introduce learners to morphological and conceptual solutions of time formations (Past Simple vs. Present Perfect) and to guide them to deduce both rules and uses, in pairs

The song sheets, the w/b and w/b markers

Pair Work

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After 1st Listening (c):

T says Now, I want you to get these strips of paper; then, get up on the w/b and stick them under their correct time point- you also must explain why they belong there, in pairs first- during the activity T monitors and provides assistance .

Ss get the strips of paper, go to the w/b and stick them up under their respective column

To guide Ss to deduce and write the grammar rules and use , by themselves (Lewis, 1993)

Strips of paper, w/b and blue tack

Pair Work

PostListening (a):

After feedback on the timeline about Simple Past and Present Perfect, T asks from Ss to think of and say to their partner what they did in the past and what theyve done these days.

Ss observe the activity and practice saying to their friend what they did in the past and what theyve done these days

To practice orally previously language taught and to be given the opportunity to experiment with the language

W/b

Plenary mode and Pair Work

3-4

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PostListening (b):

After class feedback, T says Now, its time for a game- here, you get a piece of paper each and write down three things youve done these days and put the paper in this bag; well try to find out who wrote it and when they did it.

Ss write life experiences on the paper, put it in the bag and play the game

To allow for freer production of the grammatical phenomena previously taught and to offer the joy of games in the class

5 pieces of paper and the purse

Plenary Mode

5-6

Free Practice (a):

After class feedback, T divides Ss into pairs and gives out a dialogue for them to role play about love disappointment issues.

Ss get the handout, listen to Ts instructions and role play the dialogue

To enable Ss to produce free language using previously language points

H/O 5

T-Ss Ss- Ss 3-4

Follow-Up (2ndListening):

After class feedback, T asks to re-listen to the song for pleasure

Ss re-listen to the song and sing along

To provide listening for pleasure

The song sheet, the radio and the CD

Plenary Mode

Follow-up ( after 2ndListening):

T thanks for the time

Ss thank for the time, too

None

None

None

None APPROX 55 mins

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APPENDICES
A:

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B. Nothing Compares to You Sinnaed O Connor (c.d. Sinnaed O Connor)

Its been seven hours and fifteen days Since you took your love away I go out every night and sleep all day Since you took your love away Since youve been gone I can do whatever I want I can see whomever I choose I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant But nothing, I said nothing can take away these blues `Cos nothing compares, nothing compares to you

Its been so alone without you here Like a bird without a song Nothing can stop lonely tears from falling Tell me baby, where did I go wrong? I can put my arms around every boy I see

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It only reminds me of you. I went to the doctor and guess what he told me, Guess what he told me He said, girl, youd better try to have fun, no matter what you do But hes a fool because Nothing compares, nothing compares to you

All the flowers that you planted mother, In the backyard All died when you went away. I know that living with you baby was sometimes hard But Im willing to give it another try

Nothing compares Nothing compares to you (Repeat 3 times)

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The Timeline with strips of paper and the lyrics on the w/b:

PAST
the flowers you planted mother in the backyard (finished, we know when it started, action complete) 1.Since you took your love away 2.I said nothing 3. Where did I go wrong? 4.I went to the doctor 5. Guess what he told me 6.He said girl youd better try 7.All died when you went away 8.Living with you baby was sometimes hard

PRESENT

FUTURE

Its been so alone without you here (not finished, we dont know when it started) 1.its been seven hours and fifty days 2.Since youve been gone I can do whatever I want

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D.

GET IT RIGHT!

a). On six pieces of paper, you must write three interesting things youve done in your life so far and when you did them.

 Ive been to South Africa two times this year.  I have watched many films so far.

(All of them in a purse, and Ss try to find out who wrote them and initiate a
conversation)

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b). after you finish, put all of your sentences in a Purse! Take turns to choose a sentence and try to guess who wrote it! Make them answer it (Present Perfect sentences only)! c). Take turns to tell the group when your three things happened (those that did) and ask some more questions to find out more information about them (Present Perfect in combination with the Simple Past).

Ive been to South Africa three times so far.

What did you do there?

Did you have a great time?

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Dialogue: Practice the dialogue below with your friend: A: Why are you crying? What happened? B (pretends crying): My boyfriend/girlfriend left me. A: Why? B: Because I have checked all the text messages on his/ her mobile. A: Well, stop crying, and look behind you. /S/he has come back.

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Role-play: Think of an unhappy moment in your life and talk about it to your friend:

A :( why are you sad?). B (looks miserable) :( life problem) A: .( asking for a reason for problem).. B: ..( explaining why) A: (offering solution)..

Problems

Reasons

y y y y y

Lose my money Lose glasses Burn food Lose car keys Take my pen

- leave my wallet on the chair - leave my glasses on the table - bake it for too long - leave them in my jacket pocket - open my bag

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Solutions (they will be cut up into strips of paper)

y y y y y

find it under the chair find them on the desk I cook for you find them in your bag find it under the bed

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Appendices (to be continued) 1. Unknown Vocabulary to be pre-taught:

Whomever Fancy Compares

willing to give it another try these blues backyard

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2. Strips of paper for Students to write the lyrics on and place them under their respective categories of the timeline:

PRESENT

PERFECT

PAST

SIMPLE

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